


NaLu One-shot #4

by Tchu-chan (Tchu_chan)



Series: NaLu stories post-Findings and Leavings [7]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:09:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26904163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tchu_chan/pseuds/Tchu-chan
Summary: Post-Aldoron arc of 100YQ. Natsu and Lucy spend some time recovering from the battle of Drasil with their Fairy Tail friends. But what Lucy really wants to know is: just who is Touka, and why is she in love with Natsu? Spoilers for the Aldoron arc, so if you haven't read it, be aware of that. Enjoy and please leave a review!
Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia
Series: NaLu stories post-Findings and Leavings [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1799542
Comments: 2
Kudos: 41





	NaLu One-shot #4

Lucy, hand shading her eyes, stared anxiously in the direction of the central town of Drasil, hoping for a glimpse of Natsu as he battled the dragon, Aldoron. From where she stood, in the wreckage of the town on the Earth Dragon's right hand, she saw no sign of him. She wondered if the enormously huge Aldoron had taken the smaller form of an avatar to fight the Dragon Slayer, just as the Wolfen and Metro Seeds had appeared to battle Lucy's group. The Seeds had been powerful, and Lucy knew her other guildmates had fought two more Seeds of the gigantic dragon's making. They'd been tough opponents to bring down, but somehow the mages had managed it, although the Wolfen Seed had inexplicably disappeared on its own. Lucy wondered if Natsu might've had something to do with that.

_We all survived, but only barely,_ she thought, sparing a quick glance at her companions, most of whom were beaten and battered. She had cuts and bruises, too, including a bloody gash on her left thigh from wicked thorns that had fallen from the sky like rain. They'd come from the head and back of Aldoron's body, where Natsu fought. She wondered, not for the first time, if he was doing okay.

After destroying the attacking Seeds, the Fairy Tail mages had fled, amidst earthquakes, only to regroup on the edge of what remained of Drasil's right-hand town. Everyone had injuries, although Lucy thought Gajeel, Erza, and Laxus looked like they'd taken the worst of the damage. Not surprising, since they were some of the guild's strongest mages and had surely been in the thick of the fighting.

She—and everyone else—had watched Gajeel, temporarily enlarged by Brandish's size manipulation magic, take on Aldoron's colossal physical form. He'd managed to deal heavy damage to the wood dragon with his iron-fisted punches, but he'd also taken many a savage blow in return, barely avoiding what would've been a fatal spearing dead-center to his chest, simply by the extremely fortunate timing of Brandish's spell wearing off. Currently, he stood, leaning on Levy's small frame, wincing painfully with every step he took.

_Broken ribs, probably,_ Lucy thought. She hoped Wendy would have enough energy to be able to help him, along with Erza, Laxus, and the others. The young Dragon Slayer had fought her own battles and Lucy knew she had to be exhausted.

Idly, the celestial mage wondered with whom Laxus had fought—it was unusual to see the powerful Lightning Dragon Slayer so battered and bruised. He'd taken out four members of a strong guild, plus their master, all by himself during the Grand Magic Games, and had walked away with nary a scratch. His opponent must have been seriously strong to put the hurt on him like that.

Lucy shrugged, shifting her gaze back to the central town just in time to see a towering spiral of flame burst forth from its wreckage into the sky. The explosive blast heated the air and sent a concussive shockwave pulsing outwards, flinging debris every which way.

“Natsu...!” She eyed the sky tensely, desperate for a glimpse of her boyfriend.

_At least he's alive,_ she thought, relieved. Those fierce, white-hot flames tinged with reddish-orange could only be his.

Mouth open in awe, she watched as the overwhelming surge of destructive power finally petered out, its effect on Aldoron immediate and devastating. The ground rumbled alarmingly beneath Lucy's feet.

“We've gotta get outta here!” Erza yelled, urging everyone to retreat from the dragon's collapsing appendage. Panicked, the mages began to run as quickly as they dared over unsteady ground, more able-bodied members carrying injured comrades where necessary. Lucy started to run with them, but then turned back.

“What about Natsu?!” she cried, looking up at the dragon's back. Its shape was quickly disintegrating. “He's still up there!” She took a few, tottering steps in his direction, but Erza grabbed her firmly by the elbow.

“Have faith, Lucy! He beat the dragon, and he'll survive this! But we might not if we don't get outta here, so _go!”_ She shoved the celestial mage ahead of herself, forcefully pushing the anguished blonde after the others.

“Happy!” Lucy called out, begging him with her eyes as she stumbled into a half-run. The gash in her thigh was painful, but she forced herself to ignore it.

“I'll get him, Lucy, don't worry!” the Exceed shouted back to her as he sped through the air, wings spread wide. He streaked away and quickly disappeared out of sight.

Breath huffing in her throat, Lucy hurried as quickly as she dared over the broken ground, reaching out an arm to steady Erza, who staggered along beside her. The redheaded mage was clearly in a bad way, but somehow managed to stay on her feet. They had just cleared the edge of what had been Aldoron's right paw, when the roaring collapse of dirt, buildings, and rocks at their backs violently shook the earth. The tremendous force of the destruction flung them forward through the air, and they landed on hands and knees near their guildmates, who had also been knocked down by the blast.

Lucy scrambled to her feet, looking back at the devastation. Aldoron's enormous dragon body had crumbled, leaving nothing but an earthen mountain in its wake.

_“Natsu!”_ Lucy screamed, heart pounding in her throat. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes. _Please, Mavis, let him be okay... Let Happy find him... Please...!_

She barely felt the hands gripping her shoulders. Erza stood behind her, a solid presence at her back. Gray, Juvia, and Laxus approached and the ice mage would've spoken, but Erza jerked her head sharply, warning them to silence. Tensely, they all stood, searching the sky.

It was Laxus who spotted them first. He pointed. “I see them. Happy found him.”

The dark speck grew larger as it quickly approached, resolving into the Exceed and Natsu, the Dragon Slayer dangling lightly from the blue cat's paws. The fire mage definitely looked worse for wear, with clothing shredded and skin scraped bloody. Lucy's hands went to her mouth to hold back the wail that threatened to burst from her throat. Happy veered toward their group, dropping in altitude.

_“Luuuucyyyy!”_ he cried, “I found him!”

Shrugging off Erza's comforting grasp, the celestial mage began to run.

“Natsu! You're okay!” Arms outstretched, she flung herself into his chest, sobbing wildly, just as his feet touched down. He grunted, but caught her, wrapping both arms around the relieved blonde tightly. He grinned into her hair.

“'Course I am, Luce! Ya didn't really think I'd lose to a dragon, didja? I'm a Dragon Slayer, after all.”

She pulled back from him and lifted a hand to his face, brushing wild bangs away from his left eye, which was almost swollen shut. She sniffed, tears leaving wide tracks in the dust that clung to her skin. “You idiot! You scared me to death! Don't go running off on your own like that!”

He moved a hand from her waist to cup her cheek. “I'll always come back to ya, Luce. Never think otherwise.” He leaned in to kiss her, stilling all argument. She melted against him, and would've pulled him closer until she heard an Exceed's taunting cry.

_“Lucy and Natsu wanna dooooooo it!”_

Abruptly jerking away from her boyfriend's lips, Lucy shook her fist at the Exceed. “Shut it, cat!” Pouting, she released Natsu, face crimson.

Their friends had come over to welcome the fire mage and they laughed. Juvia mumbled something about wanting to do it with her darling Gray, too, making the ice mage roll his eyes and blush almost as red as Lucy. Erza merely smiled and shook her head. Laxus smirked. Natsu laughed out loud, grin splitting his face.

“Well, yeah,” he admitted shamelessly. “But I think we should probably get patched up first.” He sniffed at his girlfriend and frowned. “You smell like blood, Luce.”

“And just what do you think _you_ smell like?!” Annoyed, she smacked his chest with a fist and he grunted.

“Hey! That hurts, ya know!”

“Sorry,” she relented. “Let's go see if Wendy can patch you up. Really, Natsu, you're a mess!” She quirked a smile at him and sighed, “What am I gonna do with you?”

As they all trudged over to where the rest of Fairy Tail waited, the fire mage slung his left arm over her shoulder to lean on her, taking some of the weight off of his injured foot. Now that the rush of battle had worn off, he realized he hurt like hell.

“Dunno, Luce. But whatever ya do, do it gently, okay? I feel like I got run over by a train.” He yawned suddenly. “An' I could really use a nap right about now.”

She gripped the wrist he'd slung over her shoulder and tightened her arm around his waist. “Let's get you to Wendy. I think you need her help more than any of the rest of us.”

It was a testament to his very great fatigue and weariness that he didn't even argue with her.

XXX

Hours later, the members of Fairy Tail, plus Jellal, Brandish, and an unconscious Touka and the White Wizard, had relocated to Drameal, a small town to the east of where Drasil and Aldoron had been. In addition to housing numerous military personnel—who had been taxed with keeping an eye on the slumbering Aldoron—the town apparently received a high volume of visiting tourists, due to its (former) proximity to the Earth dragon. They'd found a decent-sized hotel, complete with a bar and restaurant, and had settled in, splitting off to separate rooms to clean up and recover.

Lucy had made sure to have Wendy check Natsu over and heal some of his more grievous injuries long before they'd arrived. His right knee and left foot, as well as his right arm and hand had sustained severe wounds. The Sky Dragon Slayer had used her healing magic on the worst of his injuries, although she hadn't been able to fix everything. She'd already used plenty of power healing Gajeel's ribs, and had yet to examine Erza and Laxus. The petite girl had eyed Lucy's gash speculatively, but the blonde had waved her away, refusing her help.

“I'm okay, Wendy. I'll clean and bandage this myself. Save your power for those who need it more,” she told the grateful teenager. She could always have Wendy look at it in a day or two, once the girl had a chance to rest and recover.

Closing the door to their small room, Lucy turned to Natsu and tugged on his hand. “All right, you. Into the bathtub. No arguments. You're a bloody mess.”

“Aww...I jus' wanna sleep, Luce,” he whined. “Can't I take a bath later?”

She shook her head, ignoring the puppy dog eyes he gave her.

“No way. You'll get blood all over the sheets. Don't worry, I'll help you and you'll feel a lot better afterwards,” she said, tugging him into the bathroom and sitting him down on the closed toilet seat lid while she ran hot water into the tub. She eyed his cuts and scrapes. “No bubble bath today. I think it would sting too much,” she told him, halting the flow of water when she judged it sufficiently filled.

He unwound the dragon scale scarf around his neck, placing it on the counter, then carelessly shrugged off the tattered remnants of his one-sleeved vest. She sucked in a breath at the numerous cuts and purple bruises dotting his tanned flesh.

“Jeez, Natsu...” she breathed.

He frowned. “Don't make that face, Luce. I'm gonna be fine. I'll be good as new in a few days, you'll see.”

She didn't reply, holding out her hands to help him up. He stood and began to unfasten his pants when her hands overlapped his fingers.

“Let me,” she said softly, nudging his hands aside.

Seeing the solemn look in her eyes, he let her undress him and guide him over to the tub. She steadied him as he stepped in and sat down. He hissed as the hot water stung the scabbed-over cuts and scrapes on his body.

“Shit! That stings!” he swore.

“Sorry. I know it must hurt.” Her voice was soft as she sank to the ground beside the tub, washcloth in hand. “I'll be as gentle as I can,” she promised as she dipped the washcloth in the water and brought it to his face. His eye was less swollen than it had been, thanks to Wendy's healing, but he had an ugly bruise on his forehead—from head-butting Gajeel, he smugly told her when she asked. Slowly, she stroked over his skin with the cloth, cleaning the dirt and blood from him as carefully as she could.

He watched her, lids at half-mast, aware of the concentration she used from the way her chocolate eyes focused on his flesh, small, white teeth buried in her lower lip. He loved the care she took with him. It made him want to kiss her—and rescue that poor, abused lip—but he knew she'd only be annoyed with him if he distracted her from her task. _She must've been really worried,_ he thought, feeling a pang of remorse.

As she moved from his face to his throat, then down the expanse of his chest, taking care not to press on his bruises, he let his eyes fall closed. He'd never been touched so... _lovingly_...any of the other times he'd been treated for injuries. Despite his best intentions, he found himself dozing off under her ministrations. He barely roused as she washed his back, arms, and legs, merely shifting as she bid him in a gentle voice.

When she finally drained the bloody water and refilled the tub, she murmured softly against his ear, “Natsu, I want to rinse your hair, okay?”

He grunted in affirmation, letting her place an arm around his shoulders as he leaned backwards into the water. Tipping his head back, he felt her lean over him to run the fingers of her other hand through his hair. Her breasts were tantalizingly close to his face, and for a moment, he toyed with the idea of pulling her into the tub with him. She needed to bathe anyway, right?

His lower region twitched at the thought of a wet Lucy writhing on top of him. But then he yawned and sadly gave up on the idea, at least for the moment. He really needed to sleep for a bit before exerting himself in that way. He sighed regretfully as Lucy pulled back from him and helped him sit up.

“All done.” She brushed wet hair away from his face with light fingertips, then pulled the plug in the tub, letting the much less dirty water swirl down the drain. “Just let me grab a towel and some bandages. We'll get you dried off, then I'll patch you up.”

“No need for the towel, Luce,” he grinned, carefully standing up in the tub and snapping his fingers. “All dry. See?”

She huffed in exasperation. “You sure you should be using magic so soon? We all saw that blast. You must be nearly out of reserves.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he mumbled, letting her help him out of the tub and over to the counter. She wrapped the unused towel snugly around his hips and he smiled.

“Too distracting for ya, Luce?” he teased.

She rolled her eyes. “You're way too beat up for _that_ right now, you goof. And no, that's not intended as a challenge!” she added hastily, in case he got any ideas. To distract him, she handed over a jar of ointment from their medical kit. “Put this on your cuts while I go grab some boxers from your pack for you to wear.”

“Okay.” He did as he was told, although there were fewer open wounds than he'd expected, now that the blood and dirt were gone. Some of that was probably due to Wendy's healing touch, but Natsu knew he also had an unusually resilient constitution, thanks to both his dragon and demon natures. In a few days, he'd be good as new!

He smiled as Lucy came back into the room. Dropping the towel, he put on the black boxers she handed him, catching out of the corner of his eye how her cheeks pinked slightly as she pretended to be occupied with cutting bandages. Now that he was clean, he noticed the many cuts and scrapes decorating her fair skin.

“Say, Lucy...” he turned to look her over more closely. “Where're you hurt, exactly? Now that I'm clean, you really smell like blood.” He encircled her wrist with his palm, turning her to face him.

“It's nothing much, Natsu. I got hit by one of those thorns that fell from the sky, that's all. It left a gash in my left thigh.” She indicated the wound. “I'll take a bath and clean it up once I get you settled in bed.”

He frowned, letting his fingers drift lightly over the injury. She flinched and sucked in a breath. “Doesn't sound like 'nothing much',” he observed. “I hate it when you get hurt, Luce.”

She chuckled ruefully. “Well, that makes two of us. Now help me with these bandages, so you can go to bed and I can take care of it.” She began winding the strips around his middle, taking care to make them snug, but not too tight.

He grimaced, but subsided, not wanting to start an argument. Deftly, she bandaged his arms and legs, pausing only to apply healing ointment and rectangular sticky bandages onto a few scrapes on his face. Just for good measure, she wrapped his noggin as well, covering the purple bruise on his forehead for extra protection. Once finished, she stepped back from him and laughed.

“You look like a mummy,” she teased.

“Ha ha. Sleepy now, Luce. Lemme go ta bed.”

Still laughing softly, she took him by the hand and led him over to the right side of the queen-sized bed, which was looking more appealing to Natsu by the second. He yawned loudly as she pulled back the puffy, white comforter and sheet. Lying down on his back, he looked up at his girlfriend.

“Thanks, Luce. I do feel better after the bath.”

She pulled the covers over him, bending down to kiss him tenderly on the mouth. “I'm glad. Sleep well, Natsu.”

He was out like a light, snoring softly, before she even made it into the bathroom.

Running hot water into the bathtub once more, Lucy shucked her clothing and boots into a pile on the floor, used the toilet, and grabbed a clean washcloth. Gingerly, she settled herself into the steaming water.

_Shit! He wasn't kidding! This really stings!_

She hissed, gritting her teeth against the throbbing pain. After several seconds of keeping perfectly still, she was eventually able to relax enough to wash her face. Fortunately, most of her injuries were minor—mostly bruising and a few small scrapes. The wound on her thigh hurt the most, and after working up the courage to clean the crusty dirt from its edges, she bit back a whimper as the bathwater gradually turned red.

_It's deeper than I thought. It'll definitely scar if I don't have Wendy take a look at it._

Resolving once again to give the teenager a couple of days to assist more injured guild members and recover some energy, Lucy drained and refilled the tub twice more, until the water stayed relatively clear. Forgoing shampoo—she didn't even want to think about what getting soap in her cuts would feel like—she wet and rinsed her hair thoroughly, squeezing the excess water out of the long tresses as best she could. It would just have to air dry today. She didn't have the energy to use the hair dryer, not to mention she didn't want the noise to wake Natsu. He really needed to rest.

After getting out of the tub, she wrapped herself in a fluffy, white towel, combed out her hair, and set about bandaging her various injuries. The thigh wound was most concerning, so she started there, slathering it with healing ointment. It was seeping a little, now that she'd cleaned away the crusting and dirt. She wrapped a bandage around her thigh as tightly as she dared, hoping it would hold the wound closed well enough until she could have Wendy take a look at it. Her forearms and right calf needed bandaging, and she also applied two small, sticky bandaids to painful scrapes on her chin and left cheek. Looking at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, she grimaced.

_I'm sure not winning any beauty contests today. But it could've been so much worse._ She actually considered it a minor miracle that no one had been killed.

Popping a couple of aspirin, Lucy trudged over to the bed and flopped down on top of the comforter, still wrapped in her towel. She was utterly exhausted. The room was pleasantly warm—especially with Natsu snoring away beside her—and the familiar heat of his body and the sound of his breathing lulled the tired mage into a deep and restful sleep.

XXX

“Lucy.”

Warm and comfortable, the contented blonde ignored the gentle voice next to her ear.

He tried again, softly stroking her cheek. _“Luuucyyy..._ Time to wake up...”

She groaned, turning her head away from the light touch.

“Go 'way,” she mumbled, trying to push at the offending speaker with an arm. It got caught in the comforter tucked under her body and she floundered, struggling fruitlessly, until a warm hand freed her, threading slender fingers with his own. Grudgingly, she opened sleepy eyes.

Natsu knelt on the floor beside the bed, grinning. As awareness flooded back into her, Lucy realized two things: he was dressed, and something smelled delicious!

“I brought food!” he exclaimed happily, waving a brown paper bag in front of her face. “You looked so tired, I didn't wanna wake ya. But I was starving, so I went downstairs to check out the restaurant.”

She sat up and looked him over carefully. He'd removed the bandage she'd wrapped around his skull, but she was pleased to see the large bruise he'd sported on his forehead was mostly gone. She shrugged the comforter off her shoulders. Natsu must've pulled it over from his side to cover her before he'd left. Looking down, she realized she was still wearing the hotel's fluffy, white bath towel. At that moment, her stomach growled loudly.

“Ugh...” she groaned. “What did you bring me? And what time is it?”

“Here,” he handed her the bag. “There's a tuna melt and some chips. We can get something else later if you're still hungry. It's nine o'clock, but the main kitchen's open until ten. They only have snacks after that until the bar closes at two.”

“Thanks.” She took the offered bag gratefully. At the moment, she was so hungry, she didn't care about crumbs in the bedding. She tore open the bag, using the wrapping as a plate, and began to scarf down the sandwich. While she ate, Natsu caught her up on the latest news.

“So everyone's doing okay, which is good. They're all kinda confused about how they got here, but Juvia explained what happened with the White Wizard's magic taking them over or whatever. Mira wanted to know about the dragon, which made Erza antsy 'cause we're not s'posed to talk about our job with anyone who hasn't signed the contract. But Laxus guessed it had something to do with the hundred years' quest, so everyone stopped asking questions after that.”

“What a relief!” Lucy sighed. “I was wondering how we'd explain things without violating confidentiality.”

“Yeah,” Natsu agreed. He added, “Oh, and on the way back here, I stopped by the room where they've got Touka. Happy's keepin' an eye on her with a few of the others. Since we brought the White Wizard back with us, we should be able to get some answers outta her as soon as she wakes up. We're rotating guard shifts until then.”

“Y-yeah.” Lucy replied neutrally. She'd finished her sandwich and was working on the chips. Uneasily, she remembered Juvia had said Touka was in love with Natsu. Not that Lucy thought Natsu would care—he'd had no recollection of Touka when her name had first been mentioned—but still, the idea of some strange girl throwing herself at the Dragon Slayer discomfited Lucy. She wasn't quite sure how to handle the surge of unexpected emotion. So lost in thought was she, it barely registered when Natsu gobbled down the last of her chips.

“Hey!” She looked at her lap, realizing they were gone. “Those were mine! Didn't you get enough to eat downstairs?”

“You snooze, you lose, Luce. Especially when it comes to food around me. Ya oughta know that by now,” he snorted. The fire mage took her trash and crumpled it into a ball, then set it on fire in the palm of his hand. It quickly burned to ash. “Besides, you were spacin' out, ya weirdo.”

She huffed, but couldn't deny it. Avoiding his eyes by looking at the fingers twisting in her lap, she asked slowly, “Natsu...do you really not remember Touka? She said you met before?”

“Well, kinda,” he replied. For some reason, the hesitation in her voice bothered him. He could tell something was off with his girlfriend, but he wasn't sure what it could be. The fact that she wouldn't look at him made him leery. He hastened to explain.

“Remember that year when I was off doing my training?”

“How could I forget?” she replied dryly, rolling her eyes. She'd made her peace with his leaving, but it had been a rough time in her life. She didn't like to dwell on it.

Hurrying past a subject he knew was a sore one, Natsu continued, “Well, Happy and I took a job from a merchant to capture some bandits who'd stolen a wagon full of goods. Apparently, Touka was in the back of the wagon, hidden inside a barrel. She saw us through a peephole or somethin' I guess, but we never actually met her. We were in a hurry to return the goods to the client, 'cause we needed the jewel for food. And that's it,” he finished. “Neither one of us even knew she was there until she explained everything when we found her in one of Aldoron's churches a little while ago.”

“Ah, I see. So Touka thinks of you as her hero,” the blonde smiled pensively. “I can certainly understand that.” She gazed at him with her big, brown eyes.

Suddenly, Juvia's words about Touka being in love with him came flooding back to the Dragon Slayer. All at once, the reason for his girlfriend's weird behavior clicked in his head.

_She doesn't know..._

Abruptly, his grin widened and he laughed out loud. He could hardly believe it. It was just too funny, and he couldn't help himself.

“Lucy... Are you... _jealous?”_ he teased.

“Wh-What? I don't know what you mean,” she crossed her arms over her generous chest and sniffed. She refused to look at him, but her crimson cheeks spoke volumes. He knew he'd hit the mark.

“Luce... Ha ha ha...! Ya got it all wrong...” He could barely explain through his laughter. He grasped her arms, tugging the miffed blonde around to face him. “Touka's a _cat._ An Exceed. She's got a crush on _Happy,_ not me. She got our names confused, is all. The White Wizard took over her body and forced her to look human, but Wendy was able to separate them using magic.” As Lucy's eyes widened in sudden understanding, he added, “I guess Happy didn't get a chance to explain it to ya with everything that was goin' on.”

Chuckling smugly, he leaned in to kiss his dumbfounded girlfriend. “I gotta say though, you're really cute when you're jealous.” He nuzzled her with his nose.

“I-I wasn't jealous!” she denied hotly, flushing.

“Sure, sure.” He didn't argue with her. Kissing her again, he let his fingers and lips do the talking as they wandered over her skin, careful of her bandages. He was just tracing the curve of her collarbone with his mouth when his hands moved under the comforter to shift her thighs toward the edge of the bed and closer to him. She gasped as his right hand closed over the wound on her left thigh.

“Ouch!” She jerked in pain.

“Sorry! I forgot!” Gently, he moved the coverlet back, wanting to get a better look at the injury. He wasn't happy with what he saw. “Lucy, this bandage is soaked.” He was annoyed with himself for not picking up on the coppery scent of blood sooner.

She sighed. “Yeah. The gash was deeper than I thought. I didn't want to bother Wendy, but I'll probably have no choice. I'll ask her to heal it tomorrow. It probably needs stitches to keep it from seeping.”

“Lemme change the bandage at least,” he offered. “Maybe I can cauterize it or something.” He looked up at her. “It'll hurt, but it'll stop the bleeding.”

She bit her lip. “I don't know, Natsu...”

“Let's see how bad it is first, 'kay? Then decide.”

He gathered the supplies from the medical kit and returned to her. She'd shifted her legs off the side of the bed and onto the floor, scooting forward to avoid getting any blood on the sheets. Kneeling in front of her, Natsu began unwinding the bloody dressing. When he got to the last layer, it stuck to the wound and she hissed in pain.

“L-Let's just cut the end off and leave that part in place, okay? It's already sealing the wound, sort of. If we pull it up, it'll make me bleed worse,” she told him.

Natsu leaned closer to the wound, sniffing it.

“No sign of infection, so that's good. Looks like it's only bleeding from this one area right here.” He pointed to a narrow line of crimson that looked brighter and wetter than the rest of the bandage. “Lemme see if I can seal it for ya.”

She looked uncertain. “M-Maybe we should just wait for Wendy...?”

“Lucy, there's no way I'm gonna let ya bleed all night long. I'm either gettin' Wendy _right now,_ or I'm gonna seal this up until she can look at ya tomorrow. Your choice.” Stubbornly, he waited for her answer, palms cradling her thigh.

After a moment, she sighed and nodded. “Okay, just let me get something to bite down on in case I scre— _YEEOWCH!”_

“There, all done.” The fire mage winked at her, patting her leg gently.

“You jerk! I wasn't ready!” she screeched, smacking his shoulder. The searing pain had made her eyes water.

“Trust me, Luce, it's better the way I did it. Ya don't have time to worry so much.” Satisfied, he reached for the bandages and began re-wrapping the wound.

After watching him carefully wind the white strip around her upper thigh multiple times, she grudgingly forgave him. “Thanks, Natsu.”

Lifting her fingers, she ran them idly through his messy pink locks as he knelt on the floor between her legs. Once he tied off the bandage, he smoothed his palms over both of her thighs, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. She still smelled of blood—and slightly singed flesh—but the vanilla-and-honey sweetness that was uniquely her own called to him. Slowly, he rose up on his knees and pulled her into a warm hug.

“I'm sorry for hurtin' ya.” His hands skimmed up and down her spine as he pressed his nose into blonde hair, drowning himself in her natural scent. After a few moments of nuzzling her throat, he pulled back to cup her face in his hands. His thumbs brushed over the wetness at the corners of her eyes.

“I wanna kiss ya so bad right now,” he breathed.

She leaned into his touch, lids fluttering shut. “So do it.”

Closing the distance, Natsu placed butterfly kisses over her eyes, nose, and cheeks, tasting the salt from her tears. She sighed as he captured her open mouth with his own, sliding his tongue against her plump lower lip before sucking on it gently. Warm fingers lightly traced their way over the rectangular bandage on her cheek, drifting down over the pulse in her throat, along a delicate collarbone, to the tops of her breasts. She shivered at the tender touches, draping both arms around his neck to pull him closer. He could hear her heartbeat quicken as his mouth followed the path his fingers had taken.

“Lemme make ya feel good now, Luce,” he breathed against her skin.

“Natsu...” she mewled, urging his face toward the valley of her cleavage.

He went willingly, hands slowly unwrapping the fluffy towel as if he were opening a fragile gift. Once her creamy flesh lay exposed before him, he pressed a kiss over her rapidly beating heart, then leaned back to stare into her chocolate eyes.

“You're so beautiful...”

She chuckled half-heartedly. “But I'm all beat up.”

“You fought for your friends,” he told her seriously. “That'll always make ya beautiful to me.” He cupped both breasts in his hands.

She blinked at his words, soft lips curving upwards in a genuine smile. Unable to resist, he leaned in to kiss her again, caressing her supple flesh with his palms. She arched into him with a whimper, fingers sifting through the hair at the nape of his neck. Disinclined to tease her for once, his mouth trailed down to close on her nipple, fingers tugging and pinching the rosy peak of the other breast as she moaned.

He'd hated having to hurt her. Now he just wanted to make her cry out in pleasure rather than pain.

He pressed forward with his hips, rubbing against her core, the thin fabric of his clothing the only thing between them. As his mouth switched to pleasuring her other breast, he smelled his favorite scent rising from between her legs. His hands smoothed down her ribs, past curvy hips, to the insides of her thighs. Stroking the sensitive skin there, Natsu made his way, nibbling and licking, over the soft flesh of her belly. His palms slid around to grasp her ass, pulling the blonde forward to the very edge of the bed. He inhaled deeply, head sinking between her legs.

“What are you doing?” Lucy asked breathily.

His tongue on her clit was his only answer.

She moaned, hands falling automatically to fist in his hair.

“Oh gods... _Natsu...!”_

He wasted no time in working her into a frenzy, desperate to hear her voice shatter with passion as he pushed her over the edge. Her pants and whimpers spurred him on, and he pressed first one finger, and then a second, into her slick opening, curling them insistently over the special spot he knew made her writhe in pleasure. His tongue swirled over her clit mercilessly, until her body tightened down on him, spine curving into that beautiful arch he loved. Suckling the blonde firmly, he felt her buck into his mouth as she pulled his hair and came with a loud cry.

As her wail trailed off into a satisfied moan, he kissed her swollen flesh, withdrawing his fingers and sitting back on his heels. Licking his lips, he popped the digits into his mouth, savoring her rich essence. His other hand stroked her knee lightly, while his eyes slid to the bandage on her left thigh. Checking it quickly, he was pleased to see there was no seepage.

“Come up here,” Lucy crooned, tugging at his shoulders. Her brown eyes were glazed and satisfied.

He rose and shucked his scarf and one-sleeved jacket, tossing them onto a nearby chair. He climbed onto the bed as she swung her legs up, scooting over to make room for him. Once he lay down on his side facing her, she leaned forward to kiss him.

“I don't think I've ever come so fast,” she told him with a chuckle. “You were a man on a mission.”

“I hate that I had to hurt ya. I wanna replace all that pain with pleasure as quick as I can.”

She smiled, then let her hand drift down to stroke him through the fabric of his pants. “Well, you succeeded, Mr. Mummy, so good job! Now...what can I do for you?” The sultry curve to her lips made things low down in his belly tighten.

When he didn't answer immediately, she pressed open-mouthed kisses to his throat, roving down to his sternum before the numerous bandages halted her progress. “Oops, gotta skip over this part,” she told him with a pout before moving lower. “But I happen to remember, there aren't any bandages under here,” she teased, as she tugged on the waistband of his pants, nimbly undoing the fastenings.

“Ya don't hafta do that, Luce. I can wait another day or two...” The groan that rose from his throat as she pushed his clothing aside and stroked him with soft hands made a liar out of him.

“Don't worry, Mr. Mummy,” she breathed against his proud flesh, “I promise, I'll be gentle.”

“But— _unh...!”_

He lost the will to argue as her deliciously hot mouth closed over him. In fact, after an intense little while, he lost the ability to think coherent thoughts at all.

XXX

The next day, Lucy woke early.

Tucked under Natsu's chin, lying in the warmth of his embrace, her nose tickled his collarbone. She inhaled, soothed by the familiar scent of campfires and spice. Her forearms rested against his chest, palms curled inward towards herself. Gingerly, she raised her left arm, reaching straight up to the ceiling to stretch out her elbow. After a few moments, she brought it down to peel the comforter and sheet back from her body. Natsu's right arm was slung over the dip of her waist under the covers, and somehow he'd managed to worm his top leg in between both of hers during the night. When she shifted to try to check her bandage—it was dry, thankfully—the jostling woke him.

“Mornin', Luce.” His voice was raspy with sleep.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you,” she murmured, bringing her hand to his cheek. “You can sleep some more if you want.”

Before he could respond, a loud gurgle came from his stomach. It was almost a growl. Blinking, he was about to make a wisecrack, when Lucy's stomach let out a similar noise. Startled, they looked at each other and then burst out laughing.

“Well, I'm gonna say that's a 'no' from my stomach,” Natsu grinned ruefully.

“I'm hungry, too,” Lucy agreed. “Especially since _someone_ ate most of my chips last night,” she teased.

“Wow, that person sure is brave,” he joked, pulling his leg out from between her own and sitting up. Yawning, he rubbed his face. “Let's get dressed and head downstairs for some grub. How's your thigh?”

“It's good. No bleeding, as far as I can tell.”

“That's great! Now let's go eat!”

A short while later, they found themselves at a table in the dining area, devouring a hearty breakfast. Lucy was famished! Not too many of their Fairy Tail comrades had stumbled downstairs yet. Most were likely still exhausted from yesterday's battle. As she finished her tea, Natsu ordered a fish for Happy. Since they were both feeling better, they'd resolved to check on the Exceeds and relieve the mages on guard duty. When Natsu had stopped by last night, Happy'd told him he planned to sleep there until Touka regained consciousness. He wanted her to see a friendly face she recognized when she awoke.

Now that Lucy knew Touka was an Exceed, she was curious and eager to meet her! Somehow she'd missed Happy's explanation of what had happened when he and Wendy had brought Touka and the White Wizard back with them. Busy with fighting, she hadn't even noticed the unconscious Exceed at the time.

When they got to the room, Macao, Wakaba, and Romeo looked up curiously. They sat on stools around the twin bed where the White Wizard lay. For a girl with such fearsome power, she looked fragile and harmless, silvery hair draped around her sleeping face and shoulders. Across the room, Happy perched on a stool near Touka's bed. He perked up as they entered.

“Hey, guys! How's everyone doin'?” Natsu greeted them cheerfully. “Any sign of them wakin' up?” He glanced at Macao.

“No change,” the older man replied. “You here to relieve us?”

“Yeah, we'll sit for awhile. You guys go get some breakfast. The food's great!” Natsu enthused. “Oi, Happy! Here, I brought ya a fish,” he added, tossing a brown paper bag to the excited cat, who caught it eagerly, saliva already dripping from the corner of his mouth.

“You're the best, Natsu!” he cried, tearing into the bag and the meal with gusto.

Lucy made her way over to sit beside Happy as the other Fairy Tail members filed out of the room. Natsu took up a position next to the White Wizard. He hoped the troublesome woman woke up soon. He had a lot of questions that needed answering!

“So this is Touka...” Lucy mused, staring down at the sleeping cat. “She's cute. I like her tabby markings.”

“Yeah, and she says she likes me!” Happy exclaimed. The tip of his tail twitched in excitement as he sat on his stool. He'd already finished most of his fish and was waving the bone around—fish head attached—as he spoke.

“Is that so?” Lucy's eyes met Natsu's briefly and he smirked at her. Ignoring him, she asked, “And how does Carla feel about that?”

The Exceed shrugged. “She says she doesn't care.” He looked sad.

Lucy patted his back sympathetically. “I doubt that's true, Happy.”

“Yeah,” Natsu snorted. “She's probably only pretending it doesn't bother her, just like Lucy.”

She flushed. “Sh-Shut up! That was just a misunderstanding!”

When Happy looked confused, Natsu explained. “Luce thought Touka was this girl here,” he waved at the White Wizard, “and that she was in love with _me,_ not you. She got all jealous an' stuff. It was kinda adorable.”

Happy laughed. “You _looooovvve_ him!” he smirked from behind his paw as he teased the celestial mage.

“Well, of course I do!” She looked at Natsu. “You jerk! See if I let you kiss me later,” the blonde sniffed.

The fire mage grinned wider. “Don't go makin' threats you won't wanna carry out!”

She stuck her tongue out at him.

“I dare ya to do that over here, next to me.”

Wisely, she stayed where she was.

“Flirt later, you guys!” Happy whined. He would've said more, but Wendy and Carla came into the room.

“Hi, everyone!” Wendy smiled. “I just came to check on our unconscious patients.”

Lucy examined the petite teenager. Her arms and legs were wrapped in bandages, much like Natsu. “Are _you_ okay, Wendy? You must be so tired.”

She shrugged. “I'm feeling much better today,” she replied as she rested a hand first against the White Wizard's face, then against Touka's soft fur. “No change,” she sighed, then added, “If I had to guess, I'd say it'll probably be a couple more days before they wake up.”

Natsu growled in annoyance. “Well, I s'pose it can't be helped. Say, Wendy... since you're here, will you check out Lucy's leg? It kept bleeding last night, so I sealed it with fire magic, but I think ya oughta look at it.”

“Sure!” She walked around the bed where the Exceed lay to stand before Lucy. “It's the gash from the thorns, right? Let me see.”

Sighing, the blonde turned, giving the Sky Dragon Slayer access to her left thigh. “Sorry to have to bother you with this, Wendy. It ended up being deeper than I thought.”

Unwrapping the bandage, the young girl appraised the injury. “No sign of infection. It's pretty well sealed, too. Good work,” she turned to look at Natsu. “It takes fine control to make cauterization look so neat.”

He flushed a little at the praise and scratched his head. “Well, it's Luce, ya know... I tried to be real careful.”

“He _looooovvves_ her,” Happy chimed in helpfully.

Natsu grinned. “Yep.”

Lucy smiled as the young healer's hand, limned with blue light, rested above her wound. Slowly but surely, the damaged tissue knit, leaving the skin smooth and free of scarring.

“Thanks, Wendy. You're amazing!”

“I'm glad I could help,” the pigtailed teenager replied. After checking Natsu's wounds—most of which were superficial scratches and bruising by this point—she and Carla sat beside him to watch over the unconscious duo on the beds. They all chatted and laughed for a couple of hours, until Gray and Juvia came in to relieve them alongside Bisca and Alzack.

“Happy, why don't you come with us and take a bath?” Lucy offered. “I'm sure it'll make you feel better. Touka's not likely to wake up while you're gone.”

“Good idea,” Carla cut in, looking at the blue Exceed. “You stink of fish.”

“But fish is yummy!” he declared. At the white cat's frown, he grudgingly added, “Still...I haven't really had a chance to clean up from all the fighting, so why not?” He hopped off the stool and followed Natsu and Lucy out of the room.

Wendy and Carla paused only long enough to update the others before heading back to the quarters they shared with Erza. The redhead was doing much better, Wendy assured them, although Fairy Tail's newest master had refused to say how she'd gotten so battered in the first place. She'd merely smiled when Wendy asked.

After lunch, Natsu accompanied Happy back to Touka's room to keep watch, leaving Lucy sitting at the small desk in their room. Taking advantage of the rare peace and quiet, Lucy opened her journal and enthusiastically wrote down everything that had happened since they'd arrived in Drasil. Eventually, she knew she'd be able to make a wonderful story out of it all! She'd even gotten details from Natsu about how he'd dealt with the Wolfen Seed by tricking Aldoron into creating a copy of Zeref—complete with his deadly curse! That was pretty clever, she had to admit. Lucy'd explained about using Cana's magic tarot cards to capture and imprison everyone who'd been taken over by the White Wizard, until they'd realized the spell controlling their friends had broken. He and Happy had laughed themselves silly when she confessed she'd accidentally trapped herself in one of Cana's cards while trying to use it. At least the card mage had woken up from a drunken stupor to free her!

The determined author gave a wry chuckle. She had to admit: that particular scene would be highly amusing to put into a story. She was already looking forward to fleshing out her next novel. So far, the hundred years' quest was providing plenty of material! She chewed on the end of her quill, then bent her head to write.

XXX

That evening, the restaurant and bar was full of noisy, rambunctious Fairy Tail mages. Relieved to be alive and all together again, the beer and wine flowed freely amongst good friends. Natsu and Gray got into an eating contest—which Natsu won, of course—although he promptly got sick trying to barrel surf from one end of the bar to the other. After recovering sufficiently, he initiated a friendly brawl with Elfman, which then pulled in Gray and Gajeel by unfortunate proximity.

Watching the glorious chaos, Lucy sat on a bench next to Loke, who'd shown up under his own power to enjoy the impromptu party. He was vigorously cheering on the brawlers while also flirting outrageously with Lucy and every other female close enough to listen. The celestial mage figured it was only a matter of time before Natsu noticed and dragged the flirty lion into the fight by his long, skinny tie. Mere moments later, she was proven right.

Cana sat near the pigtailed blonde, doing her best to get her friend rip-roarin' drunk. Natsu'd warned the card mage to go easy on his girlfriend; she'd lost blood yesterday, so he knew she'd be a lighter weight than usual when it came to alcohol. Cana had laughed and promised to limit her offerings to Lucy solely to beer, rather than stronger booze. Even so, it wasn't long before the celestial mage was three sheets to the wind. She'd been waving away another mugful of ale while giggling madly and had actually slipped off the bench, landing on her butt! That only made her giggle harder, while Cana laughed uproariously and saluted Lucy with the open wine bottle she clutched in her fist. Even Mira, who rarely drank, looked a bit buzzed as she tittered at their drunken antics. Levy, who was sipping water from her mug since she was pregnant, rolled dark eyes and laughed fondly at them all.

Eventually, nature called, and Lucy gracelessly hauled herself upright using the bench and table at her back for leverage. Just then, her cute, little flip-flops seemed too much to manage when one precariously slipped partway off her foot, causing her to stumble. Instead of fixing it, she carelessly kicked off both flip-flops and continued making her way unsteadily toward the restroom. Vaguely, she heard Cana call out to Natsu, who had stopped brawling and was now laughing his head off while dancing a merry jig with Max. Gray and Vjeeter stood on a table behind them, performing some sort of Egyptian-looking dance with awkwardly bent knees, elbows, and wrists. Lucy might've stopped to watch the amusing scene if her bladder hadn't demanded all of her extremely limited focus. She made it into the restroom, slamming the wooden door shut behind herself.

“Ha ha ha... Natsu, you should probably go check on your girlfriend,” Cana told him as the Dragon Slayer looked over at her and scowled.

“What the hell, Cana?! I told ya not to get her too drunk!”

“Aw, don't be like that. I bet she's a fun drunk, if you know what I mean.” The brunette waggled her eyebrows at the fire mage. “Just think of it as me doin' you a favor,” she grinned, giving him a wink.

He rolled his eyes as he made his way over to the hallway by the stairs where the restrooms were located. “As if I needed _your_ help with that. Seriously though, she better not've fallen and cracked her head open or nothin'.”

“Yeah, yeah,” the unrepentant brunette waved him off. “Have fun!”

Ignoring the card mage, Natsu walked up to the bathroom door and banged on it. “Hey, Lucy! You okay in there?”

From inside, he heard the flush of a toilet, then water running. After a few moments, the door opened and a flushed blonde threw herself into his arms, giggling.

“Natsu,” she hiccuped, “I'm drunk.”

“No kidding,” he sighed. “I shoulda known better than to leave ya to Cana's tender mercy. Can you walk?”

She swayed, pressing herself against him and wrapping her arms around his neck. “Carry me,” she demanded, jumping abruptly and forcing him to catch her legs as she wrapped them around his waist.

He grunted, but managed to get a firm grip under her thighs. Making his way down the hall to the stairs, he passed Macao and Wakaba, who had just come out of the men's restroom. He heard the older men commiserating on how some guys had all the luck, but he ignored them, wanting to get Lucy back to their room as quickly as possible. She was already testing the limits of his self-control by tugging his scarf aside to nip and suck along his throat and jawline.

“Natsu...” she whined.

“Yeah, yeah.” He made it up the stairs—why were there _always_ stairs?—and down the hall to their room, shifting one hand to grip under her ass while the other fished in his pocket for the room key. As she tugged on his earlobe with her teeth, he unlocked and pushed open the door, staggering inside and letting it slam shut behind them. Groaning, he flipped both the lock and the light switch without looking, letting the blonde's legs drop to the floor. Belatedly, he realized she wasn't wearing anything on her feet, except for the ever-present, magical toe ring for birth control.

“Where're your shoes, Luce?”

“Dunno. Don't care,” she giggled, stretching up on her tippy-toes to kiss him. Overbalancing as she leaned into his body, she forced him back against the door. He allowed it for a few moments, tongue exploring her eager mouth, before settling his hands at her waist and walking her backwards into the room.

Unbeknownst to the Dragon Slayer and his very drunk girlfriend, Levy came up the stairs to their door several minutes later, Lucy's flip-flops dangling from her hand. Gajeel followed shortly behind, but stopped at the top of the stairs.

“I'd just leave 'em outside the door, if I were you,” he said to the petite woman. “They're probably fucking. Gi-hi,” he chuckled, red eyes crinkling in amusement as the soon-to-be-mother of his child blushed.

“Gajeel!” she hissed, trying to be quiet. She hesitated in front of the door, trying to decide whether or not to knock. She thought she heard Natsu's voice murmur something, but couldn't make out the words. Lucy's response, however, was loud and clear. She'd never heard her friend use such language!

Flushing bright red, the solid script mage set the flip-flops on the floor outside their door, then hurried back down the hallway toward Gajeel. The Iron Dragon Slayer laughed at her expression.

“Told ya, Shrimp. Gi-hi...”

“Sh-Shut up!” She elbowed him in the gut, but let him take her arm and lead her down the opposite hallway toward their own room. His low chuckle lingered like a caress along her spine until the solid, wooden door closed behind them with finality.

XXX

As Natsu walked his over-eager girlfriend backwards inside their hotel room, lips still locked together, he clasped her curvy hips firmly, holding her upright. She tasted like booze, but he could also smell that intoxicatingly sweet scent of arousal that always drove him crazy.

He growled low in his throat. “You sure are a handful when you're drunk.”

Kissing him feverishly, Lucy pulled off his scarf, then hastily shoved his gold-trimmed, black vest over his shoulders and onto the floor. He still had a few bandages wrapped around his middle, forearms and calves, but not nearly as many as earlier in the day. Her hands ran greedily over the tanned skin, nails dragging lightly against his pecs, stroking and teasing the flat nipples. Breaking away from his mouth for a brief moment, she tugged her pale blue tank top up and over her head, sending it flying across the room. Her strapless bra quickly followed as she arched, pressing her breasts against him.

“I'll give you a handful...or two,” she murmured, giggling, as her tongue delved back inside his mouth, tangling with his own. Her fingers wound themselves into his hair, holding him captive to her desires.

He groaned, fondling and rolling her plump mounds between his palms. He loved the way her soft flesh spilled between his fingers! Firmly, he nudged the blonde backwards, until her shoulder blades hit the wall beside the bathroom door. As he tweaked and pulled on the pink buds, his mouth dropped to her breasts, laving the taut nipples with his tongue. He suckled and bit at them lightly until she moaned.

_“Please...”_ she begged, thrusting her hips against him demandingly.

His hands fell to her jean shorts, hurriedly undoing the fastenings. Yanking them down and off her legs, along with her cotton panties, he breathed deeply, inhaling that musky-sweet scent he loved. She leaned against the wall, fingers sifting through the soft strands of his hair until he pulled away to shed the rest of his clothing. He returned to her quickly, gripping a low ponytail to tip her head back. Kissing her passionately, he slid a hand to the small of her back, urging her body to arch into him. He wanted to feel her soft curves pressed against the lean muscles of his torso.

When she moaned and lifted her right leg to his hip, he caught it and used the hold to brace her firmly against the wall. The fingers of his right hand drifted down between her legs to stroke her boldly. She was restless and eager, and it wasn't long before she was writhing against his hand, slick moisture covering his fingers as they sank into her welcoming heat. His thumb pressed against her clit lightly and made slow, deliberate circles.

He loved looking at her like this: face flushed with passion, kissable lips parting on pants and whimpers as she shuddered under his touch. He couldn't get enough of the noises she made. Purposely curling his fingers inside her pussy, he watched brown eyes widen and then squeeze shut as she arched suddenly, fingernails biting into his shoulders as she came with a surprised cry.

_“Natsu...!”_ Her voice caught as she jerked against him, trembling, until he slowly withdrew his fingers from her core. He allowed her a few moments to recover before releasing her thigh and grasping her hips.

“Turn around,” he demanded roughly, spinning her to face the wall. Grabbing her wrists, he positioned her hands above her head against the plaster, forcing her body into a delicious stretch. His cock was hard and he let it rest against the curve of her ass as his palms fell to squeezing her breasts. She pressed back against him with a moan.

He murmured against her throat, “Should I fuck ya right here, Luce? Up against the wall? Wouldja like that?”

She moaned something insensible, head hanging. He mouthed the flesh under her ear, then pinched her nipples roughly, making her gasp. Distracted as he was by the delightful sound, he could be forgiven for missing the slight noise just outside the door to their room.

“I didn't catch that,” he said, nibbling just above the blonde's collarbone. “Tell me again.”

She wriggled against him, making him suck in a breath. _“Yes!”_ she whined. “Just _fuck_ me already, damn it!”

He smiled at her verbal loss of control, shifting until he could guide himself to her entrance. Nudging her legs further apart, he sank himself inside her to the hilt, making them both moan. Slowly, he began to move, enjoying the feeling of her moist heat wrapped around him, squeezing him snugly. Still fondling her breasts, he breathed against her ear.

“You're so _tight,”_ he rasped, “and after all the times I've fucked ya...”

She moaned and slammed her hips back against him, forcing him deeper into her body. He grunted and picked up the pace, dropping his right hand down to stroke between her legs. He knew she liked his dirty talk, and honestly, he enjoyed it, too. Especially when he got her so hot and horny she cursed, which was something she did rarely.

His heartbeat accelerated as he released her breast, sliding his left hand down to grip her thigh. Pulling it up from behind, he held her under the knee, angling himself to plunge into her more deeply. The fingers of his other hand kept circling her clit and she moaned in pleasure.

“Like that, Luce?” he nipped the flesh of her left shoulder. “D'ya like it when I stretch you wide open?” He groaned, then added, “Ya must like it—you're squeezin' me so hard right now!”

She panted harshly but didn't answer. Her left hand moved from where it braced against the wall to tangle in his hair, gripping the back of his head. Turning her face, she pulled him into a heated kiss, sucking and biting at his lips. A low moan rose in her throat and he broke away from her mouth. He could tell she was on the edge, and his eyes closed as he increased his pace, feeling her spine begin to curve into an arch.

“Gods, Luce...!” His mouth latched onto the smooth flesh of her throat and bit down. She wailed, hand fisting in his hair, pulling the soft strands and sending a shock of pleasure straight to his groin. His fingers tightened on her leg as she spasmed, inner walls pulsing around him, driving Natsu to buck against her furiously, until the tingling at the base of his spine finally spiked, sending him headlong into his own fierce orgasm. He groaned, shuddering with his release, until the adrenaline wore off and he sagged against her, dropping the blonde's leg so she could stand more easily. Pleasantly sated, he wrapped his arms around her middle and they both leaned against the wall, panting.

After awhile, Natsu kissed her temple. “You should go clean up and drink some water, or you'll be hung over tomorrow.”

She hummed her agreement, pulling away from him to stagger into the bathroom. While she was occupied, he poured a glass of water from the carafe on the room's desk and set it on the end table by the bed, then downed a glass himself. When Lucy came out of the bathroom, he pointed out the water to her, then went to use the facilities. By the time he finished, Lucy'd managed to drink most of the water and was curled up on her usual side of the bed.

He smiled and flipped off the light switch, then walked around the bed to the other side, slipping in behind her under the covers. Snuggling up to her back, he curved his body around her protectively, one arm bent and tucked under his head, the other draped over her waist. He nuzzled her ear.

“You sleepy?”

“Yeah,” she murmured. She sounded barely awake.

“Good. Me, too.” He chuckled. “Ya really wear me out!”

She smiled and snuggled into his embrace. “Too much for you, Mr. Mummy? I'll be more gentle, next time.”

“No need for that,” he laughed, planting a kiss on her cheek. “I can handle ya just fine.” He paused, then added, voice low and rough, “I'll prove it to ya again tomorrow mornin', just wait an' see!”

“Mm...promises, promises.” She covered his hand and squeezed it gently. “You better get your rest then. Goodnight, Natsu.”

“G'night, Luce.”

XXX

The next morning, when they made it down to breakfast—which was not too early, much to the amusement of Cana, who happened to be awake before noon for once—they sat down to eat across from Levy and Gajeel, who were in a corner booth. The tiny, solid script mage was daintily eating toast and drinking lemon tea and she flushed slightly as the couple joined them.

“Fun party last night, wasn't it?” Natsu asked cheerily. He was in a great mood. He'd removed all of his bandages, since he'd completely recovered from his injuries!

Lucy was slightly more subdued—her stomach was a little unsettled after all the beer from the night before—but at least she didn't have a headache! She'd forgone the heavy bandages on her forearms and calf, but still sported a few bandaids here and there, including one on her left cheek. She smiled at her friends as she tucked into a stack of pancakes with syrup.

“Yeah,” drawled the Iron Dragon Slayer, who'd finished his breakfast and sat back, arm draped over the bench behind Levy's shoulders. “For some more than others, I bet. Gi-hi.”

“Gajeel!” Levy hissed, elbowing him in the side. He only laughed, completely unfazed. When the couple across from them raised their eyebrows curiously, the petite mage tried to change the subject. “Say, Lu... Did you find your flip-flops this morning? I didn't want them to get lost, so I put them outside your door. I didn't want to bother you last night in case you had, uh, already gone to bed.”

Gajeel chuckled at this last, and she elbowed him under the table again.

“Ah, yes, I found them. Thanks, Levy! I don't know what got into me last night,” the blonde sighed. “I really gotta stop letting Cana pour me drinks.”

Her friend grinned. “Good luck with that! Cana lives to get people drunk. It amuses her, I think.”

“I heard that...” the brunette called lazily over her shoulder from her seat at the bar, “and you're absolutely right!”

Levy leaned in and whispered, “I'm actually glad I'm pregnant right now, so she doesn't bother with me.”

Lucy smiled. “Lucky you.”

Just then, Happy sailed into the common room, making a beeline for their table. He circled once, before landing on the end, beside Natsu and Gajeel.

“I'm starving! I need a good fish or three!”

“I got ya, little buddy!” Natsu hopped up and walked over to the counter to place the order.

“How are things up there?” Lucy asked the Exceed.

“No change,” the blue cat answered sadly. “I just wish Touka would wake up already!”

Levy looked curiously at Lucy, whose brown eyes twinkled as she informed the room at large, “She _liiiiiiiikes_ him!”

Happy objected, hands on his little hips. “Hey! No fair turning my own joke around on me!” He huffed at the blonde, who grinned wickedly. Cat eyes narrowing, he taunted, “Besides...it was true when _I_ said it about _you_ then, and it's also true about Touka now. So there!”

Natsu snorted as he came back over and sat down, placing a plate full of raw fish in front of his friend. “Now, now, Happy,” he teased, “Ya gotta let Lucy have her fun sometimes, too, ya know.”

“Why do _I_ have to?” the cat whined. “That's your job!”

“I'm on a break,” he joked as Lucy stuck her tongue out at them both, making everyone laugh. It felt good to be able to do it with all of their friends.

Lucy took Natsu's hand and gave it a squeeze under the table. She didn't know what would happen once Touka and the White Wizard woke up, or even how they'd deal with the rest of the hundred years' quest, but as long as she had Natsu, Happy, and the rest of her Fairy Tail friends, she just knew they'd be able to handle whatever came their way.

Looking forward to the next big adventure—and maybe a trip to the local hot springs—Lucy smiled.

The End

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I hope y'all enjoyed this little one-shot (well, okay, it's not so little, ha ha...) I'm attempting to follow the 100YQ canon (mostly) by writing in the "small spaces" between the larger plot points. I found this story a little tricky, smut-wise, because Natsu and Lucy were so beat up the first day after defeating Aldoron. Because of this, I decided to show more fluffy, intimate moments between them initially, rather than trying to do something unrealistic. I hope it worked and didn't feel too rushed towards the end.
> 
> I thought for a minute we might get a Lucy-jealousy plot line with 100YQ--and I was so hyped for that!--but then Touka turned out to be a cat! Still, I wanted to play around with the idea of a jealous Lucy for a little bit, since I think it would've been fun to see Natsu react to it. While I don't think he'd let a misunderstanding like that stand for long--he wouldn't want Lucy to feel hurt--I do think he'd find it funny if it happened. At least in this particular situation.
> 
> I also had a good time incorporating Levy and Gajeel into the story. Their interactions with each other always make me laugh! I'm looking forward to seeing where the new arc takes us. I was totally not expecting to end up back in Edolas, that's for sure! But how wonderful to see Edo-NaLu and the rest. I agree with Happy: they haven't changed a bit! And Nasha is totally a daddy's girl, you can tell. Love it! I'm hoping for lots of adorable NaLu moments for our Natsu and Lucy, too! Hopefully I'll find some "small spaces" in which to write as the Moon arc unfolds. Until next time...


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